10 ways you could be invalidating your car insurance

Putting off car maintenance when it is required could invalidate your car insurance.

Louise Cooper

Published:08:00Friday 18 August 2017

According to new research by price comparison site uSwitch.com, two thirds (63%) of drivers make simple errors which can leave them out of pocket should they need to make a claim.

And a quarter (25%) of those surveyed admitted they didn’t realise these small errors could result in car insurance providers not paying out, with an additional third (37%) of drivers admitting they simply forgot that such behaviour might impact on an insurance claim.

Top 10 mistakes drivers make that may invalidate your car insurance:

1. Wearing high heels or flip flops when driving (25%)

2. Leaving car unlocked (24%)

3. Putting off car maintenance when required (21%)

4. Forgetting to renew car MOT on time (16%)

5. Letting pets roam free in the car (15%)

6. Lending car to a friend or family member (14%)

7. Not updating details after changing jobs (9%)

8. Attaching fluffy dice, or another object, to rear view mirror (9%)

9. Forgetting to renew vehicle tax on time (9%)

10. Underestimating mileage travelled everyday (8%)

Rod Jones Insurance, expert at uSwitch.com, said: “We know the British public are increasingly time poor, so it’s unsurprising that motorists can be forgetful when it comes to locking up their cars or renewing their car MOT and taxes on time.

“With claims now running into the thousands of pounds, people can’t afford to make a careless mistake that could invalidate their cover and leave them out of pocket.

“It is therefore really important that drivers note down their key renewal dates, and avoid making the easy to forget mistakes to ensure they are covered should they ever need to make a claim.”